Manure transfer apparatus with spring biased guillotine door

ABSTRACT

A manure transfer apparatus for transferring manure from a first location to a second remote location. The apparatus has a hopper at the first location for receiving the manure, and a collection chamber communicating with the hopper for receiving the manure. It also has a pumping chamber communicating with the collection chamber, a first guillotine door positioned between the collection chamber and the inlet of the pumping chamber, and a second guillotine door positioned between the outlet of the pumping chamber and a conduit communicating to the second remote location. A first hydraulic cylinder is connected to the first guillotine door for opening and closing it. A second hydraulic cylinder is also connected to the second guillotine door for opening and closing it. A pumping tube communicates with the pumping chamber and a hydraulic piston actuated by a hydraulic cylinder is positioned within the pumping tube for sucking manure into, and pushing manure out of the suction chamber. Advantageously, a biasing spring is connected to at least one of first and second hydraulic cylinders to force this cylinder to an extended position with the corresponding guillotine door in closed position in the case where pressure in the hydraulic conduits connected to the first and second hydraulic cylinders for operating the same drops below a predetermined threshold in a predetermined period of time. Such an automatic closure prevents unwanted manure back flow.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved underground apparatus for removing liquid and semi-liquid manure from barns or other animal housing structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a known manure transfer apparatus 10 for pumping manure from a building or barn 12 through an underground conduit 14, to a remotely located storage reservoir 16 or collection site. The apparatus 10 has a collection hopper 18 located below the building's floor, into which manure and waste from the building's floor is pushed or scraped. Manure falls down through a vertical portion 20 of the hopper 18 and into a collection chamber 22. The collection chamber 22 communicates with a pumping chamber 24 from which it is separated by a first guillotine door 26. The first guillotine door 26 is actuated by means of a hydraulic cylinder 28. The pumping chamber 24 communicates with a pumping tube 30 which includes a piston actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 32. The pumping tube 30 is preferably located above the pumping chamber 24. The piston mounted within the pumping tube 30 is used for sucking manure into and pushing manure out of the same. The pumping chamber 24 also communicates with the underground conduit 14 from which it is separated by a second guillotine door 34. The second guillotine door 34 is actuated by means of another hydraulic cylinder 36. The hydraulic cylinders 28, 36 and the pumping tube 30 are preferably located above the pumping chamber 24 in order to provide easy access for maintenance and repair purposes. The operation of the manure transfer apparatus 10 is preferably carried out automatically by means of a control circuit or control valves (not shown).

[0003] In the aspiration cycle, the first guillotine door 26 is open and manure is sucked down through the vertical portion of the hopper 18 by lifting the piston within the pumping tube 30. In the evacuation cycle, the first guillotine door 26 is closed by lowering the corresponding hydraulic cylinder 28. Then, the second guillotine door 34 is opened by elevating the corresponding hydraulic cylinder 36. Then, the hydraulic cylinder 32 is actuated to lower the piston within the pumping tube 30 and thus to cause manure to be pushed out into the underground conduit 14 toward the remote reservoir 16. When the evacuation cycle is completed, the guillotine 34 is closed by lowering the cylinder 36 in order to close the conduct 14 before the next aspiration cycle.

[0004] One problem with the above manure transfer apparatus 10 is that, if for some reason the second guillotine door 34 is left in an open or a partially open position, then manure from the remote reservoir 16 flows back into the pumping chamber 24. If, at the same time, the first guillotine door 26 is also left in an open position (if, for example, in the case of a power failure), the manure stored in reservoir 16 may flow back into the barn 12, by gravity. Such may occur if the operator or the control system because of a power failure, does not stop the apparatus during the down stroke of the piston 32.

[0005] A solution to this problem has been to position a flapper valve 38 at the end of the underground conduit 14 just below the remote reservoir 16. The flapper valve 38 is normally closed so as to impede a back flow of manure into the pumping chamber 24. Unfortunately, this solution is not entirely satisfactory as the flapper valve 38 can also become stuck in an open position and it is hard to reach for verification or repair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved manure transfer apparatus that does not have the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art manure transfer apparatus, in particular a manure back flow problem.

[0007] According to the present invention, this object is achieved with a manure transfer apparatus for transferring manure from a first location to a second remote location, which application basically comprises:

[0008] a hopper at the first location for receiving the manure;

[0009] a collection chamber communicating with the hopper for receiving the manure;

[0010] a pumping chamber communicating with the collection chamber, the pumping chamber having an inlet and an outlet;

[0011] a first guillotine door positioned between the collection chamber and the inlet of the pumping chamber, the first guillotine door being movable between open and closed positions;

[0012] a first hydraulic cylinder connected to the first guillotine door for opening and closing the first guillotine door by means of hydraulic conduits;

[0013] a second guillotine door positioned between the outlet of the pumping chamber and a conduit communicating to the second remote location, the second guillotine door being movable between open and closed positions;

[0014] a second hydraulic cylinder connected to the second guillotine door for opening and closing the second guillotine door by means of hydraulic conduits;

[0015] a pumping tube communicating with the pumping chamber; and

[0016] a piston activated by a hydraulic cylinder and positioned within the pumping tube for sucking manure into, and pushing manure out of the pumping tube.

[0017] In accordance with the invention, this apparatus is improved in that it also comprises:

[0018] a biasing spring connected to at least one of first and second hydraulic cylinders to force said at least one cylinder to an extended position with the corresponding guillotine door in the closed position in the case where pressure in the hydraulic conduits of said at least one of the first and second hydraulic cylinders drops below a predetermined threshold in a predetermined period of time.

[0019] To facilitate an equalization of the pressure between the hydraulic conduits of said at least one of the first and second hydraulic cylinders and thus allow the biasing spring to force the corresponding guillotine door in the closed position, a small by-pass conduct may be mounted between these hydraulic conduits.

[0020] The invention and its numerous advantages will be better understood by the following non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment made in reference to the appending drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known manure transfer apparatus;

[0022]FIG. 2 is a side cross sectional view of the known manure transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with an underground conduit leading to a remote reservoir;

[0023]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the manure transfer apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024]FIGS. 4 and 5 are side cross sectional views of a hydraulic piston actuating a second guillotine door of the manure transfer apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in respectively open and closed positions; and

[0025]FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a small by-pass conduct shown in encircled portion A of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a manure transfer apparatus 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The manure transfer apparatus 100 is nearly identical to the one described in the background of the invention, except for a modification in the hydraulic cylinder 36 of the second guillotine door 34. As shown, a biasing spring 114 is connected above of the rod of the hydraulic cylinder 36. Thereby, unless the hydraulic cylinder 36 is hydraulically forced to be contracted, the biasing spring 114 will push down the hydraulic cylinder 36 to its extended position and this forces the second guillotine door 34 to be closed.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the hydraulic cylinder 36 of the second guillotine door 34 has a pair of hydraulic conduits 112 for extending and contracting the hydraulic cylinder 36, as it is know to those skilled in the art. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 36 may be modified by having a by-pass conduct 116 mounted between its two hydraulic conduits 112. Such a by-pass conduct 116 is very small and kept permanently open so that, in the case the pressure drops below a certain level in the hydraulic conduits 112, the pressure will be equalized in both hydraulic conduits 112 after a certain time. Thereby, the hydraulic cylinder 36 is forcibly extended by the biasing spring 114, and this, in turn, forces the second guillotine door 34 to be initially closed before the operation of the apparatus 100.

[0028] Accordingly, the present invention solves the problem of the back flow of manure from the remote reservoir 16 into the manure transfer apparatus 10. Furthermore, the modified hydraulic cylinder 36 is more accessible and thus easier to repair than the flapper valve of the prior art.

[0029] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this embodiment and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Indeed, in the above preferred embodiment, the biasing spring 114 and the optimal by-pass conduct 116 are exclusively “associated” to the hydraulic cylinder 36 of the second guillotine. However, it should be noted that the invention is not exclusively restricted to this embodiment. As a matter of fact, the biasing spring and by-pass conduct could be associated to the hydraulic cylinder of the first guillotine with the very result and advantage.

[0030] Biasing springs and by-pass conducts could even be associated to the hydraulic cylinders of both guillotine doors. 

1. In a manure transfer apparatus for transferring manure from a first location to a second remote location, comprising: a hopper at the first location for receiving the manure; a collection chamber communicating with the hopper for receiving the manure; a pumping chamber communicating with the collection chamber, the pumping chamber having an inlet and an outlet; a first guillotine door positioned between the collection chamber and the inlet of the pumping chamber, the first guillotine door being movable between open and closed positions; a first hydraulic cylinder connected to the first guillotine door for opening and closing the first guillotine door by means of hydraulic conduits; a second guillotine door positioned between the outlet of the pumping chamber and a conduit communicating to the second remote location, the second guillotine door being movable between open and closed positions; a second hydraulic cylinder connected to the second guillotine door for opening and closing the second guillotine door by means of hydraulic conduits; a pumping tube communicating with the pumping chamber; and a hydraulic piston actuated by a hydraulic cylinder and positioned within the pumping tube for sucking manure into, and pushing manure out of the suction chamber; the improvement wherein: a biasing spring is connected to at least one of first and second hydraulic cylinders to force said at least one cylinder to an extended position with the corresponding guillotine door in closed position in the case where pressure in the hydraulic conduits of said at least one of the first and second hydraulic cylinders drops below a predetermined threshold in a predetermined period of time.
 2. The improved apparatus of claim 1, further comprises: a small by-pass conduct mounted between the hydraulic conduits of said at least one of the first and second hydraulic cylinders.
 3. The improved apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biasing means is connected to the second hydraulic cylinder.
 4. The improved apparatus of claim 3, further comprises: a small by-pass conduct mounted between the hydraulic conduits of said second hydraulic cylinder. 